A TEACHER falsely claimed that a loved one had died of cancer and duped colleagues into gifting her presents during a deceit which spanned several years.

Lauren Green has been struck off from the profession after conning co-workers at St Barnabas CE Primary School in Whitecross.

The Teaching Regulation Agency heard during a disciplinary hearing last month that the 31-year-old was employed at the school between April 2015 and January 2021.

In February 2016, she claimed that the unnamed loved one had been diagnosed with stomach cancer and subsequently took periods of absence – amounting to just shy of 170 days – over their supposed terminal illness and the related stress and depression.

Ms Green even organised a Race for Life charity run at the Collin Street site for their claimed benefit and told pupils about the sick acquaintance in an assembly.

Warrington Guardian:

Then, in March 2020, she told fellow staff members that the person had died and accepted collections, hampers and gifts from well-wishers.

This included £300 in cash, food and a Pandora bracelet.

The teacher even graphically described to other employees how the undertakers had struggled to remove the body from their home and had a left a ‘terrible smell’ and stains to the bed and carpet behind.

While the person in question is understood to have had cancer at one stage, Ms Green discovered in 2018 that they had ‘been in remission for some time’.

She resigned early last year, having confessed to her lies in a meeting with the head teacher after ‘new evidence came to light’ – which suggested that the deceased was actually still alive.

The ‘well regarded’ teacher was described as a ‘huge asset’ to the school who had voluntarily helped to run a basketball club during the private virtual meeting.

A report into the panel’s findings stated: “The panel finds that the conduct of Ms Green fell significantly short of the standards expected of the profession.

“The findings of misconduct are serious as they involved a lack of integrity and were dishonest.”

Ms Green was handed a prohibition order preventing her from teaching indefinitely, although she may bid to have this revoked in two years’ time.

A school spokesman said: “This was a difficult and at times distressing situation for school colleagues.

“We are pleased that the matter has now concluded.”